Means for treating the contents of a pressurized aerosol-type dispenser for heating or cooling prior to discharge of same



March 22, 1966 LERNER 3,241,723

MEANS FOR TREATING THE CONTENTS OF A PRESSURIZED AEROSOL-TYPE DISPENSER FOR HEATING OR COOLING PRIOR TO DISCHARGE OF SAME Filed Sept. 13, 1965 United States Patent 3,241,723 MEANS FOR TREATENG THE CONTENTS 0F A PRESSURIZED AERGSOL-TYPE DISPENSER FOR HEATING 0R CGOLING PRIOR TO DISCHARGE 0F SAME Nathan B. Lerner, 500 W. Fulton St, Chicago, Ill. Filed Sept. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 308,803 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-146) This invention relates to means for treating the contents of a pressurized aerosol-type dispenser for heating or cooling prior to discharge of same.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide heating means for an aerosol-type dispenser where that portion of the contents thereof which is to be discharged is heated prior to being discharged.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adapter which includes a heat exchanger which is attachable to an aerosol-type dispenser for heating the pressurized material before dispensing same. The adapter has means whereby mere attachment of the adapter to the aerosoltype dispenser opens the valve in the dispenser and maintains it in open position so that some of the pressurized material in the dispenser will flow into the heat exchanger,

providing a constant supply of pressurized material in the heat exchanger at all times which may be heated before it is dispensed.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adapter of the foregoing character which is detachably secured to conventional aerosol-type dispensers and which may be used repeatedly.

Another object of this invention is to provide means whereby the material contained in a pressurized container is heated while in its pressurized state and in the same state and condition as it exists in the pressurized container.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character wherein the material in the aerosol-type dispenser may be cooled prior to being discharged.

This invention is an improvement on the invention described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 205,734, filed June 27, 1962, now Patent No. 3,175,733, dated Mar. 30, 1965, in that in the present application the material dispensed from the pressurized aerosol-type dispenser and entering the heat exchanger member is not exposed to the outside atmosphere as it is heated, consequently, the material in the heat exchanger member is maintained in basically the same form, state and condition as it exists in the aerosol-type dispenser. By heating the material or liquid in the state in which it exists in the aerosol-type dispenser and before it is dispensed therefrom it is possible to heat a small quantity of such material or liquid before it changes its characteristics or state. For example, this invention has particular advantage in dispensing a material which turns to foam or lather immediately as it is dispensed. In the aerosoltype dispenser the pressurized liquid or material in the dispenser is approximately of the volume of the foam or lather, thus, by heating the pressurized liquid or material before it becomes foam only a small quantity of liquid or material need be heated, which can be done rapidly, efficiently, effectively and with safety. By heating a small quantity of material there is less chance of expansion to the point of explosion. If the entire container were heated above 120 it could explode. By heating in accordance with this invention, only sufficicnt ice material is heated to supply the requirements for a specific application, yet, the amount heated is small enough so that no appreciable expansion develops and explosion of the container is eliminated.

This invention also permits a smaller heat exchange area and consequently a smaller device can be utilized. It also eliminates the trapping of any material between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the nozzle or dispensing end of the device, thereby eliminating the waste occasioned by residual trapped material which could not be heated.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the unit attached to an aerosol-type dispenser.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken on lines 33 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view showing the attachment of the unit to the aerosol-type dispenser.

The aerosol-type dispenser generally indicated at 8 has a container 10 provided with a lid or cover 12 permanently affixed thereto as at 14. The central portion of the lid or cover is shaped to provide a raised annular boss 16 which terminates in an upwardly extending externally threaded neck 18. Supported by the boss 16 is a valve housing generally indicated at 19 which includes a tubular body 20 which has an enlarged upper end 22 provided with a tapering shoulder 23 which abuts against the inwardly extending annular lip 24 of the boss 16 to hold the valve housing 19 in position. The tubular body 20 of the valve housing has a reduced lower extension 21 providing a shoulder 25. A tube 26 is affixed to the extension 21. The tube 26 extends deep into the container 10.

A gasket or flexible sealing ring 28 is positioned between the enlarged upper end 22 of the valve housing and the top of the boss 16 and is gripped by the pointed edge 30 at the top of the valve housing.

A valve member generally indicated at 32 is slidably supported in the tubular valve housing 20. The valve member 32 has a stem 33 provided with spaced ribs 34 which engage the inner wall of the tubular housing 20. A tubular body 35 extends upwardly of the stem 33 and same is provided with a side entrance opening 36. The outside Wall of the tubular body 35 tapers inwardly as at 38 and defines an annular shoulder 39. The resilient gasket 28 bears against said tapering surface to provide a seal therebetween. The tubular body 35 extends through the neck 18 and terminates upwardly thereof.

The lower end of the valve stem 34 has an annular projection or tit 38 to accommodate a coil spring 40, the lower end of which rests against the shoulder 25 to normally urge the valve member 32 upwardly in its closed position. In its closed position (not shown in the drawings) the valve member 32 will be elevated from that shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the shoulder 39 thereof will be in engagement with the lower wall surface of the gasket 28 to close the opening 36 and seal the container 10. However, as soon as the valve member 32 is depressed, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, which occurs when the heating unit generally indicated at 42 is attached to the neck 18, the flow of material from the container 10 Will be upwardly, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4, through the tube 26, lower extension 21, the spaces around the valve stem 33 between the ribs 34 and through the opening 36 and into and through the tubular portion of the valve member and into the heat exchanger in the heating unit 42, presently to be described.

The heating unit or adapter which is generally indicated at 42 contains the heat exchanger unit generally indicated at 44. The heating unit or adapter is positioned on and is secured to the top of the aerosol-type dispenser 8 and is attached to the neck 18 thereof. When so attached it opens the valve member 32 and maintains it open, as will be presently described.

The adapter or heating unit includes an annular-shaped housing or container 46, the bottom of which is raised to provide a central annular-shaped recessed portion 48 which will accommodate the outlet end of the dispenser 18, as best seen in FIG. 2. The bottom 48 of the housing 46 of the adapter is provided with a central internally threaded bore 50 for threaded engagement with the threaded neck 18 of the dispenser. The bore 50 connects with a central duct 52 which communicates or connects with a heat exchanger 44 which has a circuitous passageway, which is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, formed by a continuous coil 54 which is spirally-shaped in plan as in FIG. 3. The central duct 52 has a tubular extension 53 provided with inlet openings 55. The tubular extension 53 extends within the central inlet sleeve 57 of the heat exchanger 44.

The coil 54 is of the form best shown in section in FIG. 2 in which the completed coil extends above and below a pair of .plates 56 and 58. The coils may be formed in two half sections and joined together. When the two half sections are joined by the abutting plates 56 and 58 a continuous coil is formed. Suitable openings 60 are provided in the plates for the passage of water. The outlet end of the coil of the heat exchanger terminates in an annular duct 62 which receives a valve housing 64 generally similar to valve housing 19 previously described. The lower reduced tubular portion 65 of the valve housing fits within the upper portion of the duct 62 and has outlet openings 66 so that the material from the coil of the heat exchanger passes into the adapter.

The valve housing 64 supports a valve member 68, similar to the valve member 32 previously described. A coil spring 70 normally urges the valve member 68 upwardly to closing position, as shown in FIG. 2, in which the shoulder 72 of the valve stem engages the underside of the gasket 74 to close and seal the passage of the contents so that none can pass through the opening 75 into the tubular portion 76 of the valve member 68.

The housing 46 of the adapter has a cover or lid 78 provided with a central boss 79, similar to boss 16, which receives the valve housing 64 and supports it therein, in the same manner as previously described. The lid or cover 78 has an annular raised rim 80 which secures a unit providing a discharge nozzle and a valve actuator formed of plastic material having some resiliency.

The unit generally indicated at 82 has a horizontally extending duct 83 which communicates with a central vertically extending duct 84 which is secured to the tubular portion 76 of valve member 68. Extending over the duct 83 and formed integrally therewith is a disc 85 which is hingedly secured to the annular wall only adjacent the front as at 86 and is otherwise disconnected therefrom so that the disc 85 is manually depressible. Depressing the disc 85 will unseat the valve member 68 and cause the material in the heat exchanger to pass through the opening 75 and be discharged through the discharge nozzle 88 communicating with the duct 83.

In normal position the parts are as shown in FIG. 2. As soon as the adapter is attached to the aerosol-type dispenser 10 the valve member 32 is depressed and the valve is opened, causing a certain amount of the pressurized material from the aerosol-type dispenser to be forced into the coil of the heat exchanger. The valve 32 remains open continuously so that as the pressurized material in the heat exchanger is discharged additional pressurized material will fiow into and fill the heat exchanger until the container contents is exhausted. Thus, at all times the coils of the heat exchanger contains a supply of the container contents or pressurized material and the contents in the heat exchanger may be readily heated by introducing hot water into the housing or container 46 through either of the funnelled openings 90 or 91. The hot water will remain in the housing or container 46 and quickly heat the heat exchanger and the contents within the heat exchanger. By manually depressing the disc 85 the valve member 68 is actuated to release the heated contents from the heat exchanger. Simultaneously, additional pressurized material from the dispenser 10 fills the heat exchanger. The water in the housing or container 46 may be emptied through the funnelled openings 90 and 91. If desired, hot water may be allowed to flow through the housing or container 46 by placing one funnel, for example 90, under the faucet and allowing the water to pass into and out of the container and out through the other funnel 91.

This invention has particular application to the heating of a liquid under pressure which is discharged as a foam. With this invention the liquid is heated before it is discharged and before it becomes a foam, and since the foam is of much greater volume than the liquid material from which it is formed, it is necessary to heat only a very small amount of liquid instead of a much larger amount of foam. In other words, the liquid in the heat exchanger is precisely the same in form as it was in the aerosol-type dispenser. It does not change its charactesistics as it flows from the dispenser to the heat exchanger, or while it is in the heat exchanger. Only after it is discharged from the nozzle 88 is it discharged in a foam. The material is therefore heated in its liquid state which permits a rapid and safe heating of same. The short passage from the upper valve member 68 to the outlet spout 88 prevents any appreciable foam material from being wasted by lodging in the passageway between uses.

The heating device disclosed herein is an adapter which is reusable, that is, it is readily attachable to and detachable from conventional aerosol-type dispensers. On its attachment to the dispenser it opens the valve in the dispenser and maintains it open as long as it remains attached thereto so that a supply of the pressurized material is always in the heat exchanger available for being heated. After the supply of pressurized material is exhausted from the aerosol-type dispenser, the adapter is detached therefrom and may be attached to another filled aerosol-type dispenser. It can thus be repeatedly reused.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to heating the liquid or material, it will be understood that same can be cooled by filling the housing or container 46 with cold water or the like.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing attachment secured to the outlet member of an aerosol-type container having a normally closed outlet valve and containing pressurized material, said attachment comprising a housing, a circuitous heat exchanger within said housing, an inlet member and an outlet valve for said heat exchanger, said inlet member when attached to said aerosol container engaging, opening and maintaining in an open position the outlet valve of the aerosol container, whereby a portion of the pressurized material in the aerosol-type container may enter and be confined within said heat exchanger, means for manually actuating the outlet valve of said heat exchanger whereby the pressurized material is discharged, said housing having inlet and outlet means to permit the circulation of water References Cited by the Examiner into and out of said housing to heat the pressurized material confined within said heat exchanger UNITED STATES PATENTS 2. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the heat 1538483 5/1925 Grantham 141' 351 X 3,043,484 7/1962 Jolly 222-146 X exchanger 1s spirally shaped. 5 3 098 925 7/1963 F l 222 146 X 3. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the housing 3171572 3/1965 W; et 146 is provided with threaded means for threaded engagement me at a with the outlet member of the aerosol-type container. PHAEL L P E 4. A structure defined in claim 1 in which the bottom RA rlmary xammer' of the housing is raised to provide a recess to accom- 10 ROBERT REEVES, Examinermodate the top of the aerosol-type container. R. HANDREN, Assistant Examiner 

1. A DISPENSING ATTACHMENT SECURED TO THE OUTLET MEMBER OF AN AEROSOL-TYPE CONTAINER HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED OUTLET VALVE AND CONTAINING PRESSURIZED MATERIAL, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A HOUSING, A CIRCUITOUS HEAT EXCHANGER WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AN INLET MEMBER AND AN OUTLET VALVE FOR SAID HEAT EXCHANGER, SAID INLET MEMBER WHEN ATTACHED TO SAID AEROSOL CONTAINER ENGAGING, OPENING AND MAINTAINING IN AN OPEN POSITION THE OUTLET VALVE OF THE AEROSOL CONTAINER, WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE PRESSURIZED 